


the dangers of one-upmanship

by Aoida_blue



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, competitions, escalating challenges, kissing so much kissing, stubborn silly gems
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2015-10-25
Packaged: 2018-04-28 04:09:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5077228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoida_blue/pseuds/Aoida_blue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>None of this would have happened, Pearl reasoned, if Lapis hadn't cheated in their sparring match. So really it was all her fault, and clearly Pearl was the innocent party in this. Hence, the only logical outcome of all this was that Pearl had to utterly annihilate her in this stupid competition.</p>
<p>(Or how the first annual Pearl vs Lapis Kissing Competition came about)</p>
            </blockquote>





	the dangers of one-upmanship

 

Lapis’s smile was a taunt and Pearl gritted her teeth and stabbed her sword forward again. The wall of water that she thrust toward parted easily against her blade, letting it neatly slide forward. It moved _just_ enough for Pearl to get a rush of joyful success, then the water abruptly turned thick. It sucked Pearl’s sword in deeper and Pearl tripped forward, her face hitting the wall with a hard slap, before it all disintegrated around her and Pearl hit the ground soaking wet.

 

Pearl scowled as she stumbled upright, sword-less, hand jolting up to press her cheek. She was so sure she had it that time. 

 

Lapis's smug little smirk thought not however.

  
 

“Looks like attempt 783 was also a failure.” Lapis commented dryly, spinning her wrist idly from where she’d perched on a rock, her horrible, cheating wall of water a solid blur between Pearl and her. 

 

Power over water was a rare gem gift. Really, Pearl would probably never come across another one in the battlefield, and if she did, well the Crystal Gems had now had Lapis so…

 

“That was not attempt 783.” Pearl snapped back, and straightened, brushing the sand off her tunic with a sniff, “…It was only 287.”

 

A number of 700 implied desperation. Which Pearl was pointedly not. 

 

Lapis snorted. 

 

“Oh my mistake.” She drawled, and twitched a finger, her water wall slowly pushing the sword out, forming an arm and offering the blade hilt first to Pearl, “Wanna go for 288?” 

 

Pearl eyed her sword for a moment, then snatched it back from the water, bringing it in a sweeping arch and that chopped the water’s offered limb clean off. Lapis sat up a bit from her rock, her hand dropping from where she’d bean resting her head against her chin. 

 

“Rude.” Lapis told her, almost sounding like she finally cared enough to be offended. 

 

Pearl eyed her steadily back, finally deciding on something different. Because clearly she needed to rethink her water-attacking strategy, however she could always use a bit more gem fighting experience.

 

“Enough of this.” Pearl said and pointed her sword levelly at Lapis, “Fight me, Gem on Gem.”

 

Lapis arched an eyebrow, hands wide.

 

“This is pretty much how I fight.” Lapis said, her voice clearly establishing her disbelief in the tact Pearl was taking, “And hey, you are the one that wanted to a fighting partner that wasn’t a hologram.” 

 

True. But after losing so many times, Pearl needed to taste victory again and take Lapis’s smugness down a peg. And she knew exactly how to do it.

 

After all, Pearl was not the only one who was competitive on this beach.

 

“Well, if you are afraid to get out of your bubble…” Pearl said slowly, mockingly sympathetic as she nodded at Lapis.

 

The water reached out a limb to grab the blade and Pearl flinched, hand tightening to swing it up and around, but she stopped when the water just halted a breath from the blade, a hand out like she was waiting for Pearl to willingly put the sword in it. Lapis stalked to the other side of the wall, sizing Pearl up with a few pointed glances.

 

“No toys for you either then.” Lapis said eventually, stating her terms.

 

Pearl eyed her back and couldn’t ignore the small thrill of excitement through her. Lapis had fallen for it. After so long of practising against a wall, an actual solid opponent would have been such a welcome relief. It also came with the undeniable chance to use her new  skill. Martial arts was something she’d only picked up in the last fifty years, and it was a mostly human skill. Lapis wouldn't even know what hit her.

 

“Done.” Pearl agreed, trying to suppress her giddy grin and let the water take her blade.

 

The water arm tossed it aside, sending it blade first in the cliff, reverberating off the wall. Pearl had to wince at that, blades like hers weren’t meant for brute strength, but then Lapis’s wall came tumbling down, and Pearl straightened, barely containing a grin. Lapis didn’t bother to contain hers, smiling slow and taunting as she stretched out.

 

“First one to pin the other?” Lapis asked, all but buzzing. 

 

“And hold for thirty seconds.” Pearl countered.

 

Lapis’s grin was toothy, “Done.”

 

Pearl breathed out and let Lapis come at her. Lapis swung like the brawlers from homeworld, wide hard moves, designed for someone ten times her size, and Pearl barely moved to avoid them. Let her swing wildly, then when Lapis punched forward, Pearl grabbed her wrist, twisted it sideways, swept a foot under Lapis’s unsteady stance, and they fell hard on the ground. 

 

Just like that it was all over, Lapis held immobile by a body lock pressed against Pearl and the sand.

 

“Done.” Pearl said simply. 

 

Lapis’s eyes were wide, stunned as Pearl had ever seen her. Her gaze flickered slowly across Pearl’s face like seeing her for the first time. Something warm filled Pearl’s chest at the sight of such obvious awe. 

 

Then Lapis’s staring continued.

 

And continued. 

 

“ _Ahem_.” Pearl coughed, feeling the blue on her face, letting go of Lapis’s hands, “I think that was-“

 

As soon as she’d freed her, Lapis jolted up, grabbing her hands and in less than a breath Pearl was under Lapis. Lapis poised above her, pinning Pearl’s hands together above her head, legs either side of Pearl’s hips, and grin dangerous and wide. 

 

“That was twenty four seconds.” Lapis chided lowly, tongue clicking.

 

“It was thirty.” Pearl corrected, tried to keep her voice level and calm with Lapis so very inside her personal space.

 

“Twenty four.” Lapis shot back, moving just a touch closer, like the position of her smile to Pearl’s could change Pearl's view on what was obviously the truth.

 

It was an ignorant assumption, Pearl would not let herself get flustered by Lapis. She refused to. Pearl tilted her chin up, meeting Lapis’s half-lidded eyes straight on.

 

“Thirty. I wo-“ 

 

Pearl found herself abruptly silenced.

 

Lapis had her lips pressing against hers, a light teasing sort of press, which fleeted away for a breath, enough time for the cool breath of the ocean to brush across them and enough time for Pearl to see the shimmering of Lapis’s face, then she was pressing in again, lips moving against Pearl’s. The hand that had Pearl’s hands pinned, flexed, to a position that was more like she was cradling Pearl’s wrist, thumb against’s Pearl’s manufactured pulse. 

 

Her chest was pressing inward, like Lapis was squeezing water into her lungs, and Pearl found herself taking in a stuttering breath when Lapis pulled back.

 

“What was that.” Pearl asked, blurting out stupidly. 

 

Lapis smiled, almost sheepish, pulling back, moving off Pearl, and into a graceful rise. 

 

“That was my prize for winning.” Lapis said, so unashamedly honest that Pearl felt a flush in her cheeks for her. 

 

“That was twenty eight seconds.” Pearl corrected, unable to help herself even as Lapis’s eyes flashed back to her, “I still won.”

 

Lapis’s strange little smile only increased.

 

“Next time I’ll kiss you longer then.” Lapis told her, shrugging like it was nothing.

 

Pearl flustered, and ended up crossing her arms at glaring at Lapis’s retreating form, because rude and _assumptive_ little-

 

“Or maybe I’ll be the one to kiss you.” Pearl blurted out, competitive streak on full, then rewound the words in her head and bit her bottom lip.

 

So. She had really not meant for it to come out like that.

 

Lapis looked more than a little yellow glancing back at her, her stupid stubborn smirk still on place.

 

“Well I’ll guess we’ll see about that.”

 

Pearl’s eyes narrowed back cause they really would.

 

“We need some ground rules.” Pearl stated, and Lapis turned fully back around, cocky and ready to be taken a few pegs.

 

And then like that, the Pearl vs Lapis kissing match was on.

 

 

 

The rules were simple. Firstly the others couldn’t catch them, or see them, partly because Pearl did not want to have to deal with that, partly because Lapis clearly thought it added another level in difficulty. Secondly the kiss tallied in the favour of the first person to put their hand on the back of the other’s neck. Thirdly, there had to be a minute interval between kisses. Lastly the competition would last a day, starting from sun rise the next day and finishing at the following sun rise. 

 

 

 

Almost as soon as they'd left each other on the beach Pearl was reconsidering it. By breakfast the nest morning, Pearl just onto regretting everything. 

 

The sun was bright through the window, the television blaring out crying breakfast friends in front of Garnet and Steven. Amethyst was lying on the couch staring at strange little bauble she’d pulled from her trash pile. Then there was Lapis.

 

Innocent causal Lapis. Who flicked through a book Steven had given her. Right in the middle of Pearl’s sight. 

 

Pearl’s eyes narrowed at her, because despite not looking it like it, Pearl knew she planning something, and that meant Pearl should be planning something. And not freaking out a bit because Lapis was clearly planning something and Pearl was going to be kissed again and here she was standing in the middle of the kitchen clutching a cleaning cloth like an idiot that was too competitive and-

 

“Hey P, are you alright over there?” Amethyst called out lazily, frowning at her, the bauble a flashing blue and still in her hands. 

 

From the corner of her vision, Pearl saw Lapis look up innocently, blinking at her like she had no idea - and screw it all, Lapis was so going to _pay_ for this.

 

“Oh, I’m fine.” Pearl said viciously locking eyes directly with Lapis and swiped their grocery list from the table, “I have to go shopping.”

 

“Er? Ok?” Amethyst shrugged at her, turning her attention back to her bauble. 

 

“Oooh!” Steven leapt up from the television, “I wanna come with!”

 

Steven. Good. Pearl smiled, she had protection, time to plan.

 

“Anyone else want to come?” Pearl offered, just daring Lapis to come out and attempt to try anything. 

 

A few moments of silence echoed in the house and Garnet waved her hand.

 

“Nup. I’m napping.” She told them, and abruptly lay back suddenly still. 

 

“Such a pro.” Steven whispered under his breath, “I taught her well.”

 

Pearl couldn’t afford to be distracted because now Lapis was smiling at her sweetly. Nothing from Lapis was sweet. 

 

“I’ll be fine here.” Lapis said. 

 

Then Steven abruptly turned them, running out the door and the second he turned Lapis blew her a kiss, winking and Pearl tightened her lips and jutted her chin out. 

 

She slammed the door on the way out.

 

 

 

Steven ended up doing most of the shopping, running up and down the isles and collecting groceries, Pearl just pushed the trolley after him and idly picked out things that looked sufficiently nutritional for him, and put back things that looked poisonous (neon green cereal was a definite no). 

 

She used her break to plan. Clearly to win this competition she needed surprise, she had to distract Lapis somehow, then pounce, or kiss rather. Pearl had tactics that won wars, wowed opponents in battle many a time.  To distract and kiss should have been easy enough. At least in theory. 

 

At least if Pearl didn’t think about the kissing part too much. Especially the kissing Lapis with her sultry little smirk, and the daring tilt of her-

 

No, she wasn’t thinking of that. 

 

They moved to the counter, putting all the groceries in the trolley, and handing the little plastic card all humans seemed to place such value on. When they were back out in the sunlight, Pearl felt more confident then she’d been all day. 

 

She was totally going to win this.

 

Steven brightened as Lars came into view up ahead. Lars clearly saw him, looking quickly away, back to them, but that didn’t deter Steven as he ran shouting to him.

 

Pearl sighed, because clearly that human was not worth Steven’s time-

 

There was a tap on Pearl’s should and she turned around, half-expecting someone from the supermarket, instead there was Lapis and a hand curling behind her neck and a swift kiss brushed against her lips. It was nice, it was tingly and Pearl’s insides tightened- 

 

And it was a point to Lapis. 

 

Pearl jerked back, but it was too late and the damage had been done. Lapis’s smile was shark like as she fell into step with her,  heading towards Steven.

 

“That’s one to me.” Lapis hummed, far too pleased with herself.

 

Pearl resisted the childish urge to wipe her lips only cocked her chin higher and walked a bit faster. 

 

“One point. Not the victory.” Pearl corrected and quickly caught up to Steven, stopping the conversation with his presence. 

 

 

Pearl’s revenge started almost as they got back. Peridot was over, coming down from the barn for once, and she and Amethyst were in the middle of a sea of flashing blue baubles, one that Steven took one look at, grabbed Lapis’s hand and dived right into them. Pearl did not know what the baubles were, and she really didn’t want to know, but a distraction was a distraction so she quickly swiped three and retreated into her room. 

 

When she came out, the baubles were flashing pink and purple and Amethyst had four woven into her hair, one was sticking out of Lapis’s hair, and a tangle of wires were hanging over Peridot’s face. Then there was Steven. Steven who had a pyramid of baubles on his head, a drawn on moustache and two wire bracelets. Pearl twitched, but forced herself to move quietly. Swiftly she dropped her altered baubles at the edge of the pile closest to the temple door, then walked past the squabbling Amethyst and Peridot, Steven who was laughing with three of the baubles spinning around him, and stood behind Lapis and sighed loudly.

 

“I hope you are going to clean this up.” Pearl said loudly.

 

Lapis jerked, instantly pinning Pearl with suspicious look and the others all looked up, as if surprised by her presence.

 

“After a few moderations,” Peridot began smugly, finger in the air, “They should clean up themselves.” 

 

“No no no!” Amethyst argued, “We want them to be messier!”

 

Peridot narrowed her eyes, confused, “Messier?”

 

“It is cooler.” Amethyst said and grinned.

 

“Yeah, it is.” Lapis agreed, with a frankly evil smile at Pearl.

 

Instantly Peridot cackled, “Then messier they shall be!”

 

“Yay mess!” Steven cheered.

 

Pearl twitched again. 

 

But no. She could deal with them later. Oh would she deal with them later. But first, there was a little matter of revenge. She swept her eyes up to the baubles behind Amethyst, seeing her innocent little distractions blinking blue in the sea of pink.

 

Abruptly one of the baubles beeped. Loud and obnoxious. All the arguments stopped and they all turned to look at it. 

 

Then the other bauble began beeping and smoking, hissing like a kettle.

 

“What the-“ Amethyst breathed.

 

And Pearl took her chance.

 

She was down on her knees when they started to spark and she pulled Lapis’s shoulder, twisting her around, her hand slipping behind her neck and Pearl kissed Lapis swiftly, glee against her lips as Lapis’s eyes jerked wide.

 

Pearl released her in a breath, pulled back and was standing innocently when Steven spun around and started chattering about what had just happened. Peridot was over by the rubble over, peering at the bits of bauble left.

 

Lapis was still leaning oddly back, blinking, before she pulled herself together, turning to give a Pearl a look that stated clearly, this was not over.

 

Pearl raised a finger and pointed to herself, smiling sweetly. 

 

 

 

From there it just went downhill. 

 

When Steven ran to show them all something from the beach, Lapis delayed Pearl with the mess and kissed her hard and biting under the doorframe, her hand like satisfaction on Pearl’s neck. When Lapis was frowning, trying to work out how Steven’s playstation worked, and Steven was sitting too close to to the screen, Pearl tipped her head back and stole a kiss, fingers pressing on her neck. Then Lapis cornered her in the side of the house, and then Pearl snagged Lapis when the others were watching Amethyst mutate into some monster from one of Steven’s movies. 

 

It was a blur of kissing and dodging kisses. Pearl felt like her lips were swollen and felt like she was in a state of perpetual blush. Her mouth kept curling in a silly little smile too, a stupid reaction, but easily explained away since she was winning, as she tried to make Steven dinner. 

 

Key word was tried. 

 

She twitched as every shadow, keep glancing back to make sure Garnet was still standing to the side of the kitchen, still looking at her, and kept glancing back to where Lapis kept shooting her careful sideways looks, and kept dropping the cards she was supposed to be playing with Steven and Amethyst. 

 

“That doesn’t go in there.” Garnet commented mildly.

 

“What?” Pearl asked distracted and looked down.

 

She had dropped the whisk into the pie and was half to covering it with pastry. Pearl blushed and snagged it out, laughing.

 

“Oh, um, right.” She waved the whisk airily, “I always forget humans don’t eat metal! Ha ha ha!”

 

The whisk splattered mushroom mixture right at Garnet and Pearl winced as it splattered right across her glasses. Garnet slowly drew off her glasses off to wipe the mixture off. 

 

“No you don’t.” Garnet corrected, an absent-minded sort of correction, like she couldn’t believe that Pearl had tried to pull that one on her. 

 

Which was understandable, Pearl couldn’t believe it either. Pearl gingerly put the whisk down, shooting Garnet an apologetic sort of smile. One she quickly dropped when Garnet just looked at her. 

 

“Yes. Quite.” Pearl sighed, shifting awkwardly

 

Garnet moved forward, stepping next to her, pulling the pastry neatly over the now whisk-less pie. She picked up a fork and scored it quickly, picking up oven mittens, she popped it in the oven, turning around, leaning back against the counter with her arms crossed.

 

“Anything you need to tell me?” Garnet asked.

 

Tell. Garnet. Pearl felt herself go blue, a brighter blue than she’d been all day. 

 

Because there was no way she could bring that up, just causally drop the fact she’d been actively trying to kiss Lapis all day and that Lapis was trying to kiss her back and Pearl was four points ahead because the same get-Steven-to-show-Lapis-Something trick had worked four times? 

 

“Um.” Pearl fidgeted, “No?”

 

Garnet watched her for a moment.

 

“Ok. If you need me I’ll be,” Garnet thumbed over to Steven who was wearing his Cool Kidz hat, “over with the cool kids.”

 

Garnet shrugged, moving off the counter and over to Steven. She passed Lapis, who was on the way over. Pearl stiffened as Lapis joined her in the kitchen, her eyes were a dole sort of innocent. Lapis stepped forward, Pearl glanced over behind her, and the other gems were still very much in sight range of them.

 

“Hey Pearl.” Lapis said causally, “Where do you guys keep the tinned tomatoes?”

 

To say Pearl was suspicious was an understatement. She pointed, not wanting to move, at the cupboard at under the island counter. If she crouched, sure, they’d be out of sight, but Pearl was not going to crouch and let Lapis kiss her, not when she was in the lead. 

 

“Thanks.” Lapis said easily.

 

Lapis crouched in front of her, hidden by the counter, and Pearl blinked at the opportunity right in front of her. Then Lapis swivelled turning to look at her, and her expression was all dare. Pearl bit her lip, cause she wanted to accept it, risk it, turn her four point lead into five-

 

“Sorry where were they?” Lapis asked, voice sloping up tauntingly.

 

“In the back.” Pearl felt like her voice was tight, and she glanced fire quick up to the others, all distracted, and back down to Lapis.

 

She kept her knees locked. 

 

“Where?” Lapis hadn’t even bothered to look into the cupboard, still staring at Pearl with those half-lidded eyes which should have looked ridiculous on anyone.

 

But unfortunately did _not_ look ridiculous on Lapis.

 

“Back there.” Pearl waved a hand a the cupboard, legs locked and braced in case Lapis dragged her down.

 

Lapis did grab her hand, and abruptly straightened, back to the others, and her free hand ghosted over the back of Pearl’s like she was fixing up an errant bit of hair. Pearl’s eyes shot wide, but Lapis didn’t dive into her lips like she was expecting, because that would have certainly seen by the others. Instead, with her back blocking the others, she raised Pearl’s hand and kissed the inside of her wrist and lingered there for a moment, eyes bright and dancing as her fingers brushed over Pearl’s neck.

 

Then she just released her and Pearl was frozen, still feeling the warmth of Lapis’s touch on the inside of her wrist, a far intimate moment then she was expecting, and Lapis smiling at her coy and sweet. 

 

“That’s cheating.” Pearl said softly.

 

“We never specified where the kiss had to be.” Then Lapis did a thing with her eyes, a gaze dropping down and slowly crawling up Pearl’s body thing that made Pearl feel so exposed and suddenly so hot in her skin. 

 

Pearl swallowed and glanced over to Steven. Steven was still engrossed in his game and Amethyst was chucking a dice at Garnet. 

 

She looked back at Lapis who just looked so damn smug- 

 

“Fine.” Pearl said shortly, reining herself in harshly.

 

She pushed past her and moved over to sit beside Steven to watch the game, wrist still tingling. Lapis was still smirking when she slid in next to Amethyst, throwing her arms back behind her like she’d just won the whole thing. 

 

She hadn’t. Pearl was three ahead, and she was going to get even further.

 

 

 

There were fireworks that night, a newly announced Annual Beach city day celebration, and Steven pulling them all down in the park, a rug spread out between them all. It wasn’t hard to make sure Garnet, Steven and Amethyst sat at the front, both Lapis and Pearl were onboard on their same wordless plan, and when they’d all sat down, Lapis’s eyes were dark, glinting in the starlight. 

 

“Hey! Major Dewey!” Steven announced happily pointing to the side, “What is that costume??”

 

Everyone glanced to the side, looking at the oddly hot-dog wearing Mayor, and Pearl saw Lapis’s back, saw the others distraction and saw her chance. She seized it, leaning forward, pressing her hand to push up Lapis’s hair, to keep it out of the way whilst still touching her neck, and dropped a kiss on Lapis’s back, right above her gem.

 

Lapis shivered under her touch, and Pearl pulled back quickly, before the others turned back to their impromptu circle. Lapis glanced over her shoulder, her eyes looking impossibly darker, and there was the faintest of yellow blushes that traced as far down as her shoulders. She had a look on her face, an expression that Pearl only associated with about-to-be-kissed-hard, and Pearl bit her own lip, hands trembling against the rug. 

 

“A hotdog can you believe that P!” Amethyst laughed then stopped abruptly looking at Lapis who was suddenly looking up at the sky, like that would hide _that_ expression. Amethyst clearly decided to change tacts, wiggling her eyebrows and added, “You like a bit of sausage eh Lapis?”

 

Pearl’s eyes shot wide, because Steven was right there and she hissed, “ _Amethyst_.”

 

Lapis met Amethyst’s gaze and raised her own eyebrow back, still so yellow tinted, “I’m more of an oyster eater.”

 

“Lapis! Stop! Now!” Pearl’s face felt hot enough to burst, made arguably worst by the fact Lapis had glanced at her when she’d said that. 

 

Amethyst roared laughing, loud enough nearby rugs frowned at them

 

Steven glanced around at their circle, frowning.

 

“Wh-“ He started.

 

Garnet’s hand landed on his head, and ruffled his hair.

 

“Pearl doesn’t like talking about food remember?” Garnet prompted, smooth as anything.

 

Steven nodded understandably, “Its okay not to like either Oysters or Sausages Pearl.”

 

Pearl was sure she was neon now, not helped by the way Amethyst snorted and the way Lapis was suddenly clutching her mouth like she could stifle her grin. Garnet was the only one unaffected looking, but by the way her lips twitched, Pearl knew if the fusion could get away with laughing out loud and not ruining what she’d just told Steven, she would have.

 

“T-thanks Steven.” Pearl squeaked and pointed dramatically up in the air, “Look they are starting.”

 

Sure enough, like saviours they were, the first of the bright glittering fireworks launched up into the sky. Filling the stars and with reds and blues.

 

Lapis tapped her shoulder, and Pearl glanced over to her quizzically.

 

All Lapis had to offer was an exaggerated sad face, mouthing _no oysters_ , at her. 

 

Pearl shoved her, an act which failed when Lapis swiped a kiss over her knuckles, quickly reaching out to tap the back of Pearl’s neck like ticking a box. Pearl pursed her lips and crossed her arms and tried to remain angry.

 

The fireworks started to pick up, more launching into the sky with more regularity and the other gems all shuffled to face the show more, unwittingly giving their backs to Pearl and Lapis. Pearl’s anger fled as she felt Lapis move closer beside, her, suddenly keenly aware of exactly how much time had passed since their last kiss.

 

Almost precisely on the minute, Pearl shot Lapis a look under her eyelashes, seeing Lapis staring back. The green and blues of the fireworks glinted off Lapis’s silky hair, sparking colour into her darkened eyes, and illuminated her smile. Pearl smiled back compulsively, unable to help it, because that was the first honest smile she’d seen from Lapis, brightening with excitement. 

 

Pearl didn’t know who moved in first, but they were kissing within the next breath, hands cupping the back of the other’s necks.

 

The fireworks boomed in the sky, Steven ooh’ed and aah’ed, and their kiss went on, soft little pecks, a bit of jostling as they tried to get the other off their neck until Pearl pulled back, breathing out a giddy little laugh, near silent under the booming fireworks, Lapis’s smile huge right back at her.

 

“Tie?” Pearl offered under her breath.

 

Lapis ducked in again, pressed another kiss against Pearl's waiting lips. 

 

“Tie.” She agreed, and glanced back at the others, “For now.”

 

It was hard to pull away, to sit back on the rug, but the sacrifice was well timed, because not five seconds of settling down, Steven flopped in front of her, grabbing Pearl’s arms and shifting so he had her arms around her. Then he reached out with his spare hand, idly grabbing Lapis’s hand as his eyes were still glued to the sky, and Pearl’s heart melted for him. She rested her head on top of his, hugged him warmly, and watched the sky. 

 

There were no more opportunities for stolen kisses at the fireworks show, and none as they trudged back, Steven still holding on to one of Lapis’s hand and grabbing one of Pearl’s as he recited happily which had been his favourite fireworks and why. 

 

There were no more opportunities when they arrived back at the temple, Garnet and Amethyst saying their goodnights before disappearing into the temple as Steven chatted to them as he prepared for bed. 

 

Lapis slipped out, not before sending Pearl a significant and Pearl counted the seconds, each slow step and move Steven made for bed, until she slipped out after her.

 

She made it down to the cool sand, the waves brushing against her ankles and Lapis stood in the shallows, giving her a blissful little half smile.

 

They moved as one, coming together, Lapis’s hand on the back of her neck the same time Pearl’s found hers and they wound themselves around each other tightly. 

 

Unlike the fleeting kisses they’d passed all day, this was long, leisurely. No rush in either of them as Lapis’s hand skirted up her side, and Pearl’s fingers pressed into Lapis’s hip. Gentle rubbing kisses and Pearl felt hotter than she’d ever felt, skin on fire with each brush of Lapis’s lips, with each glancing touch, the only thing keeping her in place was the grounding touch of Lapis’s hand against her neck.

 

“Final score, Twelve to you, fourteen to me.” Pearl said, her words a brush against Lapis’s lips, “I win.”

 

She smiled unable to help it, because she was still two kisses up, and Lapis’s eyes glinted under the starlight, her lips curling. 

 

“Oh?” Lapis hummed. 

 

Abruptly Lapis’s hands found her hips and Pearl was shoved hard. Pearl tripped, foot snagging on something in the water, and she fell backwards, splashing down inelegantly, absolutely wet in a breath. She spluttered, pushing her hair off her face and twitched to glare at Lapis, who was a picture of vengeance, grinning at her, stepping to have a foot either side of Pearl’s underwater legs. 

 

“What on earth was that for?” Pearl spluttered.

 

“Just a reminder.” Lapis said smoothly, sinking down so she knelt just above Pearl.

 

“A reminder of what??”

 

Lapis grinned, and brought her hands to Pearl face, not even bothering to touch her neck, and delicately draw Pearl forward. Pearl moved with her, trapped in a strange sort of orbit and Lapis’s smile was so close.

 

“That whilst you may be the sneaker kisser.” Lapis murmured, eyes flicking down to Pearl’s lips, a tantalising promise, “I’m the better fighter.”

 

Instantly Pearl frowned.

 

“Rude! I think we established-“

 

Then Lapis was shutting her up, bringing her up into a toe curling kiss and Pearl lost her train of thought entirely.

 

 


End file.
